Child maltreatment histories among runaway and delinquent children.
The records of 378 children presenting to a juvenile court were reviewed for histories of child maltreatment, based on evidence from a formal investigative process by the Department of Social Services. The children came from two groups: delinquents, who had engaged in criminal activity, and status offenders, whose legal involvement was due to non-criminal behavior, such as running away and truancy. Fifty-five percent of the status offenders and 45% of the delinquents had substantiated histories of maltreatment. The percent of status offenders who had been sexually abused was seven times higher among runaways (35%) than among the other members of the group (5%). The percent of delinquents who had been physically maltreated was significantly greater among those convicted of committing violent crimes (27%) than among the non-violent delinquents (14%). Thus, maltreatment may contribute significantly to delinquent behavior.
Famularo
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Boston Juvenile Court Clinic, MA 02108.
Kinscherff
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R
Fenton
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T
Bolduc
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SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002649:Child Abuse; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual; D003417:Criminal Psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors